After our journey up the back road from Drymen to Aberfoyle (see previous blog) we continued our drive northwards.
At the west end of Aberfoyle main street we followed the road round a sharp bend and started our ascent of Dukes Pass. Constructed by the Duke of Montrose in 1855 the steep and winding Dukes Pass connects Aberfoyle with Brig O’ Turk, Loch Achray and the western end of Loch Katrine.
As the road climbs the hill we passed the David Marshall Centre - an outdoor centre with a red squirrel feeding area.
Adjacent to the David Marshall Centre is Go Ape - a tree top climbing experience (for the fairly fit) with a fantastic zipwire across the valley. Great fun!
At the summit of the pass is the turn off to Aberfoyle Slate Quarries. Now long closed they provided the setting for “The Bridge of Death” in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Further along the road we come to the turn-off to the Three Lochs Drive - a good motoring trail on some forestry tracks.
Eventually, as we started to make our descent, we saw ahead of us the mighty Ben Venue shrouded in wisping mist. At 2,386ft (729m). Although looking sizable it neither qualifies as a Munro (hills over 3,000ft) nor a Corbett (hills over 2,500ft but is actually classified as a Graham (hills between 2,000ft and 2,500ft)
At the bottom of the hill we arrived by the shore of Loch Achray. Across the water we can see the distinctive peak of Ben An. From the top of this hill (and Ben Venachar) there are fantastic views to the west over Loch Katrine.
We continued our journey along the north side of Loch Achray and arrived at Brig o’ Turk. The name for this hamlet originates from Scottish Gaelic as the bridge of the wild boar.
No wild boar nowadays, but there are two good places to eat in Brig o' Turk.
One is the Byre Inn – an ancient converted single-story farmhouse with lots of character and good food and real ales.
The other is the recent re-opened Brig o’ Turk Tearoom. This picturesque wooden building famously featured in the 1959 film The 39 Steps starring Kenneth Moore, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1935 version.
Although a tiny hamlet Brig o’ Turk feels like a metropolis in the largely uninhabited surrounding countryside. We passed an occasional dwelling here and there but the population in this area is very sparse.
Eventually Loch Achray gives way to Loch Venachar
The autumnal colours are quite magnificent. Soon Loch Achray gives way to Loch Venachar – with great views back across the loch to Ben Venue. The beauty of this area famously gave inspiration to Sir Walter Scott’s bestseller The Lady of the Lake (1810)
We end our exploration for the day at a beach at the east end of Loch Venachar making it an ideal place to end this blog.